


pins and needles

by doodlingstories



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, F/M, Friendship, Happy Ending, cheronica if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 20:19:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10974639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodlingstories/pseuds/doodlingstories
Summary: “My spider broach… You didn’t…” But he cuts her off before she’s finished her sentence.“No. I didn’t. Here.” Jughead Jones has got his palm open, and her spider broach is in his palm.--or; Cheryl gets her pin back and Jughead gives her the option to watch something that might break her apart.set after the season finale (1.13)





	pins and needles

**Author's Note:**

> ~this is not a cherylxjughead story, so if you are looking for that, you will not find that here~

When Cheryl Blossom hears people whispering in the hallways, she usually doesn’t care enough to listen. But today is different. Because he, the boy she’d pummeled earlier in the school year, was back. He was strolling casually along the hallways of Riverdale High, his arm around the blonde beauty he called his girlfriend.

Cheryl couldn’t help but feel bad. The way she’d treated him wasn’t admirable, it was in fact rather despicable. She’d told him she was sorry earlier that year, but he’d never responded to her apology, since he’d been dragged away before he’d had the opportunity to respond. 

When she sees him in the hallways that day, she thinks ‘ _there is no way he’d want to talk to me again_ ’. She knows that she should say sorry; but instead, Cheryl simply looks at him for a few seconds, before she stalks away, regret filling up the empty space in her stomach.

*

Much to her surprise, _he_ walks up to _her_ in the cafeteria later that day. He’s got something in his hand, and Cheryl knows immediately what it is.

“My spider broach… You didn’t…” But he cuts her off before she’s finished her sentence.

“No. I didn’t. Here.” Jughead Jones has got his palm open, and her spider broach is in his palm. It takes a few moments before she grabs it, which causes Jughead to smile at Cheryl. It’s a rarity to see Jughead smile, and Cheryl almost wants to take a picture of him in that exact moment, because he’s got a nice smile, and she thinks that it’s a shame that he doesn’t smile too often. He hesitates for a second before he speaks again, and Cheryl can tell that it’s something important he’s got to say.

“I still have the video of Jason saved on my laptop. I saved it just in case… Something happened. With the file.”

Cheryl feels her heart beat faster. _Jason_. It felt like yesterday, but at the same time, yesterday felt so far away. Jughead takes a deep breath.

“What I’m trying to say is… If you want to see it, to get some closure or something… the option is there.”

Cheryl didn’t know what to say. She knew that it was a rare sight to see her speechless, but really, what is there to be said? She takes a deep breath.

“I’d like to see it. But… I don’t think I can watch it alone. I don’t want to. I just…” Jughead nods, because he understands.

“I can call Betty, Archie, Kevin, and Veronica for moral support. If you want. I can be there too, if you want me there.” He knows she needs all the support she can get, and she appreciates it. She nods, not daring to speak, because she’s kind of on the verge of tears. But it’s okay, because she’s human, Cheryl’s got feelings to. 

*

Betty shows up a few minutes later, with Kevin by her side. Cheryl tells them that she wants to see the video in private, so Jughead leads them all to the Blue and Gold. 

Cheryl’s heart jumps a little bit when Veronica (with Archie at her heels) enters the room, and Cheryl tells herself it’s because of the video she’s about to see.

Cheryl sits on the sofa, with Kevin to her left and Veronica to her right. Archie’s sitting next to Veronica, and the happy couple sits on the table behind the sofa. They’re kind of surrounding her, but much to Cheryl’s disbelief, it feels surprisingly comfortable having people around her.

“Thank you for showing me this. Sheriff Keller wouldn’t let me…” before she’s finished her sentence, she breaks down. But it’s okay, she tells herself for the second time that day, because she’s human, Cheryl’s got feelings too. But it’s especially okay because soon Kevin and Veronica are comforting her, hugging her. Cheryl sits straight, and indicates for Jughead to put on the video. He puts it on, and places the laptop in front of them on the small table that’s there.

Cheryl _clearly_ isn’t ready for what she’s about to see, but she sees it anyways. Maybe it’s because she’s got people supporting her now (albeit momentarily), because she somehow manages to feel a little less lonely.

Her heart clenches. It stays like that (uncomfortably so) for the entirety of the video. Truly, she didn’t know what to expect, but whatever it was that she _had_ expected, it wasn’t this. When he pulls the trigger, her heart _shatters_ completely. Cheryl is sure her heart is unfixable at this point, because the shattered pieces are broken beyond repair. Her father showed no mercy, and her brother just sits there, helpless, and _god_ , she feels _useless_. She should’ve known something was wrong. _She should’ve known_.

“Fuck.” Cheryl says. And before Cheryl knows it, she’s crying again. She smudges her makeup slightly, but she doesn’t care _god damn it_ , because she’s just watched her brother’s gruesome death and the waking hours leading up to his death.

After she’s done crying, she gets up and hugs Jughead. It’s out of character for her, but it feels right, so that’s what she does. He’s stiff for a moment, and he glances at Betty for a second before he softens up and hugs her back.

She wishes that she could _shower_ them all in gratitude, especially Jughead, but she knows that isn’t possible, so she settles for the next best option.

“Thank you.” She says with earnest. And although a thank you is the next best option, it’s her favorite option, because soon they’re all comforting her (even Jughead, in his own way).

Soon, they’re all talking about everything _not_ Jason, and Cheryl laughs for the first time in many weeks. 

Cheryl feels included, and her chest is buzzing with excitement.

*

When Cheryl spots Jughead later that day, he’s sitting on the bleachers with Betty Cooper on his lap. Betty is laughing, and Jughead is looking at Betty like she’s the world, like nothing else mattered.

And without realizing what she’s doing, Cheryl quickly snaps a picture, capturing the beautiful moment.

She’s pondering whether she should send them the photo, thinking ‘ _god, I’m such a creep for taking a photo whilst they’re unaware_ ’. But she sends it anyways, because Cheryl does what she wants when she wants, and she does it because she’s not supposed to care what others think of her. 

Cheryl manages to feel confident for a moment, and her head is momentarily in the clouds. 

*

Later that evening, Betty and Jughead both send her a text, thanking her for the photo, even though she’d written them both a text saying ‘ _also, tell me if you think it’s creepy_ …’ after a lengthy explanation as of why she’d snapped the picture in the first place (ok, so maybe she did care what they thought of her).

His text says ‘ _Thank you. We don’t have many photos of us together, so don’t worry about the creepy part. If anything, I’m more than grateful for the photo._ ’

Hers says ‘ _Thank you so much <3 also, me, Jughead, Veronica, Archie and Kevin are meeting up at Pop’s tomorrow to hang, an outing with friends. If you want to (and if you can), you could join us!_’ 

Cheryl’s heart fills up with joy at the prospect of friendship. 

*

Cheryl joins them the next day.

And, although there’s still a long way to go before she’s truly happy, she feels accepted. Because for the first time in a long time, people are laughing with her, and not at her.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> i might turn this into a series of one-shots focusing on cheryl, but i don't really know yet, you tell me!
> 
> comments and thoughts are always appreciated <3


End file.
